Contested at 367 laps on the 1.366 miles (2.198 km) speedway, it was the thirty-fifth race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season.

For the 2004 season, a shuffling of the NASCAR schedule saw the race move to November.

In addition, it meant the race would be part of the new Chase for the Nextel Cup playoff date.

Qualifying was canceled due to rain and the starting lineup was set by owner's points.

This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.